Confrontation of Ocean Pollution Problems via Ecological Survey 「抹香鯨π計畫」生態紀錄 籲正視海洋污染問題

In conjunction with World Whale Day, Hualien whale watching industry is engaging in the “Sperm Whale PI-Plan” to track and record their behavior.

Due to the northeast monsoon, there are usually no whale-watching activities in February. However, in collaboration with World Whale Day, starting Feb. 19, Hualien whale watchers engaged in a 60-hour Sperm Whale PI-Plan, where they ran into about 60 or 70 false killer whales and baby whales.

Lu Shih-ming, Whale Watching Industrier: “Everyone was completely fascinated, especially seeing newborn baby whales, with wrinkly folds still on them, very very cute. Getting such pictures on World Whale Day was indeed very touching for all of us.”

World Whale Day was founded in 1980 by the Pacific Whale Foundation. Thereafter, the third Sunday of each February was enacted as a global day of commemoration. The Sperm Whale PI-Plan was a research study that started with an aim to better understand ocean ecology as well as to urge the public to face the severity of ocean pollution-related problems.

Liao Hong-ji, Marine Literature Author: “Whether purposeful or by accident, we have already harmed the ocean in many ways. I think humans should minimize or avoid causing more pressure on ocean ecology and the environment, especially pertaining to waste.”

Starting this year, a three-year of the Sperm Whale PI-Plan will arrange 10 investigatory sea flights each season, for the specific purpose of searching for the whereabouts of sperm whales, while the surrounding ecological, sound, image, flight tracking, and written information will be provided to relevant units for research. The proposed sea flights will open up limited quotas for interested parties.

 

受到東北季風的影響，通常2月份是沒有賞鯨活動，但為了配合世界鯨魚日，花蓮賞鯨業者從19日開始進行60小時的抹香鯨π計畫，結果遇上大批偽虎鯨還有小寶寶，數量約60、70隻。

賞鯨業者呂世明說：「大家都覺得非常驚豔，尤其是出現小寶寶，像是剛出生的那個樣子，那個鯨豚其實身上都還有皺褶，非常非常的可愛，那在世界鯨魚日可以拍到這樣的畫面，我們都非常的感動。」

世界鯨魚日是由太平洋鯨魚基金會於1980年發起，後來將每年2月的第3個星期日訂為國際紀念日，抹香鯨π計畫就是為了能更了解海洋生態所展開的研究，也呼籲大眾注意海洋汙染等問題。

海洋文學作家廖鴻基老師表示：「刻意或不刻意的，我們已經傷害了海洋的種種，我覺得我們人類應該是盡量減少或者避免，對海洋的生態跟環境形成壓力，特別是廢棄物這部分。」

抹香鯨π計畫自今年開始一共3年，每季將安排10個調查航次，專門搜尋抹香鯨的行蹤及紀錄，但周遭生態、影像、聲音、航跡、文字等資料，都將提供給後續相關單位研究，計畫航班也會開放部分名額給有興趣的民眾參與。